Pumpkin Banana Loaf (Shhh… with Chickpeas)

I love baking so much that no plans on a Friday night other than baking a loaf of banana bread from scratch in my pajamas actually sounded like a rockin’ good time.

And you know what?

It was!

Ryan has been in Rochester, New York for work since Wednesday (I didn’t mention it on the blog for safety reasons), and he isn’t due back in town tonight until 9:30 p.m.

I know that when I get home from a long day of traveling, there’s nothing better than walking into my house and sleeping in my bed… unless my house smells like baked goods!

That is extra awesome.

Ryan is a big fan of banana bread and I was in the mood to experiment in the kitchen a bit this evening, so I took a bunch of healthy ingredients out of the pantry and figured I could transform them into a relatively healthy breakfast loaf.

My three star ingredients included:

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 on-the-verge-of-death banana

I knew I wanted to play around in the kitchen, but I figured having some kind of loose guidelines to follow would be a good idea, so I used Cooking Light’s recipe for classic banana bread as a reference point. (My recipe ended up being very different from that version, but I used that recipe for measurement ideas.)

When I got the idea to include chickpeas in the loaf, I knew I had to pulse them in the food processor to make them have a smoother consistency. Some texture in banana bread is a good thing, but I’m pretty sure little balls of beans wouldn’t be a hit.

In the end, the chickpeas were completely undetectable and the loaf itself was simply bursting with the flavors of pumpkin, banana and cinnamon.

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

I tried out this recipe this morning. Unfortunately, even after cooking the loaf for 75 minutes the inside of the loaf was still uncooked and therefore very soft and mushy. The outside was quite dark and so I was unable to continue cooking the loaf.

I followed directions exactly, however the loaf did not turn out. The taste was there, but the consistency was not.

“Hidden”/unexpected ingredients – particularly legumes – are my worst fear: One slice of this and I’d be in anaphalaxys hoping someone was there to jab an Epi-pen into my thigh. To those using nontraditional ingredients in otherwise traditional foods and sharing with others/bringing to a potluck, I do hope you’ll mention the ingredients to folks. I do ask about most dishes but I’d probably never think to ask about a banana bread. I will from now on.

Sounds yummy and nutritional! I love making brownies out of kidney beans, so your recipe totally appeals to me! I used half coconut oil and hald butter so add even more depth of flavor, but more so for the health benefit. It’s in the oven now….

These (I made them into mini muffins) and added bittersweet chocolate pieces, are delectible with a capital “D”. Love knowing that we are getting a little bit of healthy instead of the fat laden and emptied of nutrition store bought muffins. Does anyone really buy store bought muffins anymore;)
Thank you for the lovely recipe. It is in my favorites!!

Just made a high protein version of this with almonds! Subbed coconut oil for butter, and 3/4 cup of flower with vanilla protein powder. I also halved the sugar and it still came out great. Thanks for posting this!

I just made this about an hour ago and let it cool. I just barely had a bite and it was SO GOOD! I was honestly very skeptical, but I had already tried 3 other recipes from PBfingers.com and I’ve really enjoyed each of them, so I figured I’d give this one a try too! It really is a good-tasting banana pumpkin bread, and you can’t taste the chickpeas! I can’t wait for my husband to try it. I’d recommend this for a tasty, moist, bread with some added nutrition! The only change I did was instead of 3/4 cup butter, I did 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Oh and I put it into 4 mini loaves instead of 1 big loaf (and baked it for about 49 mins). Everything else I did exactly as written. I’ll definitely make it again! Thanks PBFingers!

[…] some banana bread, and a while back I remembered reading about a chickpea banana bread on the blog, Peanut Butter Fingers. I immediately searched for the recipe to see what this special bread was all […]

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to two energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.

Recent Posts

Categories

Categories

Archives

Archives

Disclaimer

I am not a registered dietitian. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. I DO NOT post everything I eat. Though I am a certified personal trainer, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.

Affiliates

Please note that affiliate links may pop up on PBF from time to time. I greatly appreciate your support!